ИСТИНА

Despite the definition of long noncoding RNAs as non-protein coding, several examples of peptides encoded by long noncoding RNAs were recently found. These peptides play important roles in cell differentiation, the maintenance of tissue-specific requirements and the regulation of cell responses under stress conditions. Telomerase RNA, an essential component of telomerase, which is the key participant of the telomere length-maintaining system in eukaryotic organisms, is considered a noncoding RNA. Here, we describe a series of independent experiments that provide evidence that a novel protein (named hTERP) is translated from the ORF encoded in the telomerase RNA gene. Additional expression of telomerase RNA provides antiapoptotic defense to cells that is independent of telomerase activity, as was previously shown, whereas we show that, not the RNA itself, but the novel protein hTERP synthesized from this RNA protects cells from drug-induced apoptosis. We found that hTERP is involved in autophagy regulation and that the mutations in hTERP result in defects in autophagy progression. We hypothesize that hTERP is involved in autophagy-apoptosis crosstalk and provides defense to cells in apoptosis-stimulating conditions by triggering autophagy. The protein-coding capacity and antiapoptotic effect of hTERP provide a reason for the constitutive expression of telomerase RNA in the majority of somatic cells.